FOI Realities

FOI / RTI Realities Hinder But Do Not Stop Consideration of Reforms

Fighting for FOI / RTI reform over the 30 years of Canada’s Access to Information Act has proven to be a difficult task.

There are many roadblocks:

“Things are hitting rock bottom pretty good” …. In the quarter-century since the country’s ATI laws came into force, it has never been easy to get the bureaucracy and government to disclose sensitive, or potentially embarrassing information, (Rubin) notes. But now, it is next to impossible. When it comes to hot-bottom issues like climate change or Afghanistan, Rubin says, it seems Ottawa has perfected the ability to generate black holes-nothing escapes. There are literally 500 ways of saying no”.